Apple fixes flaws exploited in the wild with release of macOS Big Sur 11.3.1, iOS 14.5.1

By Mike Peterson

Alongside iOS 14.5.1, Apple has issued a minor point update to macOS Big Sur 11.3, with both releases containing security fixes for two vulnerabilities that the company says may have been exploited in the wild.

Credit: Apple

The macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 update should now be available to users as an over-the-air download. It's a relatively minor update with no user-facing features, but it does contain what Apple says are "important security updates." Those updates also apply to iOS users.

According to Apple's security content webpage, macOS 11.3.1 fixes a pair of zero-day vulnerabilities in WebKit that could allow maliciously crafted web content to lead to arbitrary code execution. The first vulnerability was caused by a memory corruption issue, while the second was rooted in an integer overflow, Apple said.

Apple said it is aware of reports that both vulnerabilities have been actively exploited in the wild.

Apple on Monday also released iOS 14.5.1, iPadOS 14.5.1, and iOS 12.5.3 for older devices, each of which contained similar patches.

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